Fire postseason hopes slim and next to none

After 2-1 loss, Fire need to win final 2 games while New York and Houston both lose 2

October 12, 2011|By Jack McCarthy, Special to the Tribune

For a team desperately needing a victory, the Fire played remarkably sluggish Wednesday night.

FC Dallas made the Fire pay, dominating much of the game on the way to a 2-1 victory at Toyota Park before a crowd of 10,362.

"We didn't come out ready to play, we didn't come out ready to go at a team we really needed to beat," Fire defender Dan Gargan said. "We were slow getting started and I don't think we really attacked the game until it was 2-0.

"We can't realistically expect results if we don't bring the same type of intensity … for the whole 90 minutes."

Dallas (14-11-7, 49 points) clinched no worse than an MLS postseason berth and pushed the Fire to the brink of playoff elimination.

The loss left the Fire (7-9-16, 37 points) mathematically alive for the playoffs with two regular-season games to play — at D.C. United on Saturday and vs. Columbus on Oct. 22.

If they win their final two games, the Fire still could close with 43 points and match New York and Houston. But those teams already have 43 points, currently hold the final two wild-card spots and each has two games to play.

Forward Jackson Goncalves scored in the 41st minute and midfielder Daniel Cruz added a goal in the 52nd minute off a corner kick as Dallas snapped a four-game losing streak.